Aerial torpedo.



l. J. DUFFY.

AERIAL TORPEDO. APPLICATION man APR. s. 191s.

Patented Apr. 3 1917.

I Ki sTATEs PATENT ormoni .iosnrn .1. Dum, o1'

iToallwlwmz'tlmagl/cahcem:

' Be it known that I, Josnrn T. Dmjri a citizen of the United States, residing in the borough` of Brooklyn, city of -New York, in

the county of Kings and State 'of New- York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in vAerial Torpedoes, of; which the I*functions and ,characteristic'zs of a tor-v 'airships of various the following is a specification, reference being had therein'to the accompanying drawg' l My present invention refers to an aerial or high explosive or shrapnel shell having pedo, the same being designed for use with kinds, particularly planesintended to `ascend to a great eight.

.The object of the invention is to provide. an

explosive weapon which can be released or dropped from Iang `desired height above the ground or sea, an surface, such .as the earth ory any object thereon, or thevsea or any object thereon, the impact will instantaneously yfire the explosive lmaterial with v.which the` shell is charged and burst the same at a point above the surface of the earth'or sea so as to spread point withdestruction around the burstin d ursting an Vin aconsiderable radius, the

the disastrous elilects talnng place therefore.- without the sinking of the torpedo into .the

ground or'` water, and hence being much lmore wide-spread andeiicient because exertL ed overran area above thesurfac'e of impact;

and the invention therefore comprises vario us details'andpeculiarities in the construction, arrangement, and combination of. the various arts, substantially as will ybe herein'after escribed and then pointed out inthe ensuing clauses of the claim.4

' 1n.'the`acc0ml)alyil1g drawing illustrating4 my invention:

Figure 1 a longitudinal section of my improved aerial torpedoshown as supported from the door of an aeroplane;

2 is an-end view ofthe same Fig. 3 is an enlarged longitudinal sectional view o'f the torpedo;`

Specioation of Letters Patent.

- l l I Application led April 8, 1916. Serial No. 89,756.

when it strikes a resisting.

-abl for example, be hung from the of disengaging the lower end of said shaft -6 means for exploding the" BROOKLYN, NEW-Yoan, AssIeNon or cnn-HALE 'ro emilionv W. cmnroiv, oF'imooxLYN, NEW YORK.

AERIAL Tonriino.

Patented Apr. 3, 191 '2.

Fig. 4 is a lsectional view on the line' 4, 4' ofFig. 3.

Simil r characters of reference desi' ate,

,corresponding parts through the di erent figures of the drawing.

1 designates a pear-shaped, or yother .v shaped, torpedo or bomb having a tubular axial extension 2 at its smaller end, which extension is providedwith a number ,of'lat-i eral wings 4, four of them for example, The, torpedo or shell 1 is filled with any referred kind of/high vexplosive and shrapne theI exof the shell 1 and in an orifice 33 at the smaller end, in which orifice is also screwed the,l end 34 ofthe tubular member 2 which" is in alinementfwith tube 3. This eXplo sive l-material may be tri-nitro-toluol or any other high explosive suitable vfor .a driving charge. The shrapnel or other material' with-'which the .shell is filled is .disposed `within the hollow interior 40 vof casing 1 and around 4the explosive charge in tube 3.

f When the shell is suplorted `from -an `aero I icle,'it will, referplane or other aerial ve ooring 5 o the lane'or from any suitable part of an airship, alloon, or other device, its support--4 ing position being'preferably longitudinal las 'indicated in Fig. 1, andibelng close to and beneath 'the ioor 5. The supporting means 8- 0 v .may varywidely and consist of many. differ' v fent devices, but one which I .iind itv conven-` .'ient to employcomprises a vertical shaft 6 having thereon collars 8, 8,which collars are' .t I

above and below the door 5 andserve to rel'` tain the shaft 6 inits 'vertical position,'the

upper 'end of the shaft being provided with I a vlever '1 by means of which it can be'turned 1n one direction or theother for the purpose from its connection with the torpedo or shell. At the other end 'of the torpedo I use a simi-` lar vertical sh'aft'12 having collars 35 above and Ibelow the loor 5, the upper end of the slaft 12 beingscrew-threaded and provided 95 with a nut 14 which-screws 'down tightly l ,60 plosive being contained l within a` central .Y i tube 3 mounted in a boss 32 atthelarger end against the upper collar 35. This shaft 12 is simply an ordinary bolt of proper` length and size, having at its lower end a head and engaging a yoke or hanger 13 in which is hung a Swingin pin 15 adapted to engage the inner bore o the tube 2l which is at the center of the wings 4, such engagement taking place when the shell is in its carried position shown in Fig. 1. VIt will be noted, therefore, that as soon as the shell is released at its left hand end by the rotation of the shaft 6, it' will fall into a vertical position, andthen the tube 2 will slip oli' the pin 15 and the shell will be set entirely free to make its descent.

The larger end of the pear-shaped shell 1 is furnished on the interior, as I have stated, with a boss 32, to which the tube 8 is connected, and vthis boss is internally screwthreaded, and into it is screwed the externally screw-threaded portion 10 of a projection or casting 9 which is hollow. in its interior, having therein a vertical cylindrical recess, and said casting 9 is also provided opposite to the projection A10 with another projection 11, the two projections 10 and 11 being each provided with a central bore which may be of the same or varying diameters, and lone of which projections, as 10, is adapted to contain therein a. detonating cap 22 by'means of which the explosive charge in the tube is ignited,`while the other projection, as 11, is adapted to contain in its bore a sliding block or rod 16 having a part 16a of smaller diameter between which and block 16 is a shoulder bearing against the shaft 6 when the latter is in casting 9 as shown in Fig. 3, and said member 16l having at its end a pin 17 of smaller diameter which is adapted, when the rod 16 is properly actuated, to strike against the cap 22 and explode it. The rod 16 may project beyond the member 11, or may have any desired length'. One way .of arranging the same, however, consists in providing the outer end of the rod 16'with an extension 26 of smaller diameter, to which is pinned a tube 27 of substantial length, perhaps of a length equal to the length. of the torpedo or thereabout, although it can be of any length, and the other end of which tube 27 is pinned or otherwise attached to the cylindrical part 30 of a. block 31. The lattr`has also attached thereto a tube 29 of larger diameter than the tube 27 and concentric therewith, which is sweated or otherwise fastened to another tube 28 also of larger diameter than the tube 27 but concentric therewith, said tube 28 being screwed into'a threaded opening in the mem'ber 11 and against the shoulder on the rod 16. The tube 29 is of thin metal and will le'asily crumple up and collapse or break if given a sharp or a hard blow, which will be the case if the devices strike against an object when the shell falls,

for it will be seen that when the shell is released at its left Ahand end and allowed'to4 l drop into a vertical position, its descent will be in a vertical line for it will be guided by the wings 4, and the tubular members arranged as stated will project downwardly and being below the shell will be the first to strike against any obj ect in their path, as for example, the surface of the ground or sea,

the effect of which collision willbe to causethe inner tube 27 'to propel the rod 16 and 16a and the firing pin 17 through the casting 9 far enough to allow it to strike against the cap 22, and this will happen immediately upon the striking of the ground, i-t being obvious that in this action the tubes 28 and 29 will either telescope each other should the Lfastening that unites them give way, or else collapse, while .the tube 27 is acting on the firing pin. Instead of having the tube 27 connecting the parts 30 and 26, it is obvious that the parts 30 and 26 may be made as a single long rod and the tube 27 omitted.

I have already referred to the casting 9 being provided with a vertical cylindrical cavity therein.A When the shell or torpedo is supported in its inactive position, as shown in Fig. l, this cavity will .be occupied by the lower end of the rod or shaft 6 which willengage the casting 9 so as to uphold the shell in such inactive position, but the parts can readily be released by laying hold of the handle 7. To this end the lower part of the shaft 6 is provided with a vertical slot 18, communicating with which is 'a horizontal slot 2O which passes only part way around the circumference of the shaft 6 and leaves at the bottom an angular part 21, which,

' when the shaft 6 is inserted in casting 9 and properly turned, will lie beneath the rod 16 or its reduced section 16, as shown in Fig. 4c. That is to say, the end of theshaft 6 can be inserted in 'the casting 9, and the slot 18 will pass over the rod 16 and 16iL and the ring pin 17, then if the shaft 6 be rotated, the slot 20 will be caused to embrace the rod 16, thus placing the angular part or hook 21 beneath the rod 16 or 16a so that when the parts 4are in" this position, the shaft 6I is etl'ectually hooked' or locked to the casting 9 by being clutched to the rod 16a and serves to uphold said casting 9y as wellas to prevent the firing pin vfrom being zo'` Shaftismoved-'into torpedo-supporting posi-I' constructed in many dierent ways, andj not wishto limited towhat I have"shown, as .the same is given merely by wayofex'- amples.-In-the same, however, is a pin23fI arranged'- to=}s trike1themercury cap 43 6 and thereby explode the contents. of the tubef24= the driving char ein the'tube 3 :I'nd itsde-g ..slrableto clothe the cap in felt,fsaid felt b e'4 lng of athickne'ssof one-thirtysecond,offang- Lamine moved a Iainstthe cap should agency" occidentaJ y strike against the partsthatare fconnectejd with said firing' pin,- for'any .at' jtem tito driveqthei firing pin into the c'ap centf to slot 20,is`provided with `an ann ari groove .19"c11t into the. wall of the shaft 6 'pi n 17 as. indicated clearly in Figs. l3

tion. Y. v

'In theboss o r projection 10'is locs 1,ted, as I have `already stated, fthe detonating cap 22 havinga vcentral member 23 in line with in" 17'andladapted to be lst'ruckthe-reby' w en V: thereis rioobstacle in the way, the result ofl which will be .toexplode the cap 36i`al'1d firethe'expliosive contents offthe tube 24 form-1.

vfing a partjof the'cap. so that the high exf inch'preferiagbly, as indicated, so astopreven angexplosl'on ofthe same whlch m'ghtffoc'eur from shockdue'lto the outside ofthe Shell .bolllg ruck by bulletsor other missiles 'fired Feat 'This felt may be arrangedins. t(llflysiredg-wayand. oever thewhole-oraipart -e.ca.

'of vtool' steel o r some` equivalentsubstantia ,fmaterialsoi asv to elfectually protect '17116. detti 'ets .or other might penetrateit and damage lthe lwhole- V structure orset oif the interior charge pre-ff' niatu-rely.'v 'It willfurthermore be noted that 'because it: i s, possible' thatv the 'aeroplane might be salllng about in sucha waythat the part or a11-gthe` -way said recess, the same --ters Patent, 1s:- I 1.v A n aerial torpedo, a projection secured 'to the leading end of the torpedo and explosive' material inthe tube y3 orelsewherei.- with1n.the 'pearshaped shell may beignited V interposed'betweenthe Ii l.' andthe Whole ldevice caused .to burst: .wit-hf r detonator while the torpedo 1s suspended. 2; An aerial torpedo, av projectloii secured ,deadly effect, This deto'nator or capjjmay bef.

do]v 4to theleading end of the torpedo, perforated of the firing pin 17 hasa valuable function;`

is 1n engagement with the annular groove,

itwillbe .evident that the'shaft- 6 .zcannot` be disengaged from the torpedo without break- .ing on". the firing pin` 17, and when this 1s broken 'off the rod 16'and part 16" v`vou1 d not fhavegany effect in firing the torpedo, if the -torpedofdrops to the ground 'with the aero- .'plane at 'close quarters, and henee'the annuoove prevents premature dangerous exploslons of the'to'rpedo under the 'circum-' 'lar stances specified.

.Many changes the precise construction and' relative arrangement `of the partsv 'may be made without exceeding'the scope of my' invention, and I therefore reserve the liberty of making'all such changes as may be neces- Sary the scope of the appended claims r" Having thus d eoribed my invention, what I claim as new and desire to-secure by Lettending forward therefrom, a detonator inivpact firing means for acting on thedetonator, supported in the said roj-ection andfexf toengage with the saidprojection and to be means andthe longitudinally: and'iforxned with a recess' in the; perforation, a `-deto'nator, auf -j impact-:device :supported by fthe said' projecftending well in advance o the'torpe'do', and means for suspending the vtorpedo arranged tion, extending, forward therefromandcairying'a' ring pin adapted to move through the longitudinal perforation in thesaid pro- 1-'j ection, v'and-ineans for suspending the torn: arrangedto enter the recess in the proectionv and-.when'therein to positively pre-- movablethrough the said perforation and a .striking head at .the forward end-of the imaet device, .the v'impact device being rela ive1y; 1ong"whereby the striking'head is a entthez movement ofthe firing devices, the suspendin devices beingarranged when op- .jjerated to"v isengage `the 'said projection.

allyya detonator. supported in lthe inner end .a v`firingjthe detonator, comprsingj'a'; firing pin considerabledistance. in advance of the torend with'the said projection and at-the other with the striking head of theliring device arranged to hold the firing devie rigidly .in

permit the firing pin to act. et-The combination 'with .an aerial tor- .f-pedo, and a'collapsible tube connected at one the'annular 'groove which contains'the end 60 l il',

Slml

pedo comprising a detonator and an impactoperated iringpin7 ofmanually controlled means for supportmg'they torpedo yand yarranged when moved into a certain position 5v to release the torpedoand permit it to fa11,

the suspending" means being provided with a safety shield adapted to be interposed between the'detonator and rthe 'rin pin when moved into position to support te torpedo, the shield being formed with a groove in 10 Which lies the end oithefiringfpil'i.`

In testimony whereof I fiiix'my signature.

JOSEPH J.' DUFFY.y 

